KATHMANDU, March 29: The government has set a target to slash existing poverty by one third in coming three years.

Around 21 per cent population of the country are still below poverty line. The government has targeted to reduce this to 13 percent by 2022.

The Ministry of Land Management, Cooperative and Poverty Alleviation has also aimed to lower the poor population to five percent by 2030 in its poverty reduction policy draft. The final draft was prepared incorporating inputs and deliberations from all concerned agencies of the government.

The policy will come into effect once it is approved from the Council of Ministers.

Among different arrangements included in the draft are participation of poor and disadvantaged groups in the efforts for poverty reduction, ensuring easy and judicious access of identified poor to basic needs and adoption of a system based on justice and equity for ending discrimination.

Secretary at the Ministry Gopinath Mainali opined that poverty would go down only when people’s purchasing capacity was increased in a way to push economic reforms in the country. RSS

28.5 percent Nepali still under poverty line: Report

KATHMANDU: Nepal’s Chairman of Interim Election Council of Ministers and top leaders of major political parties have pledged to work together to materialize economic revolution in the country and lead the country towards prosperity.

Addressing the 47th general assembly of Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI) in the capital today, they said that political parties would not engage in leg pulling if the issues were concerned with economic activities.

On the occasion, Chairman of Interim Election Council Khil Raj Regmi said its high time to work for the nation building. He also defended the adjusted budget unveiled by the government on Tuesday but added that the budget in itself was not final for development.

However, many regard the political leaders’ commitments unbelievable.

UCPN (Maoist) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda had arrived the capital city from Baglung just for few hours to address the FNCCI program while NC President addressed the program in a video conference. Similarly, CPN (UML) Chairman Jhalanath Khanal, Madhesi Janadhikar Forum (Nepal) Upendra Yadav, Madhesi Janadhikar Forum (Loktantrik) Bikay Kumar Gachhadar expressed their opinions and claimed that they would work for economic prosperity as Nepal possess many potentials for development.

On the occasion, Prachanda said that minimum national consensus was needed in economic agendas.

Similarly, CPN (UML) Chairman Khanal said Nepal should learn from the models of economic development carried out by neighbouring countries China and India.

Likewise, NC President Koirala said the NC was always for economic development in the country.

During the program, FNCCI President Suraj Vaidhya urged the political parties to move ahead by making a minimum economic agenda for country’s development.

Similarly, top leaders of the major political have expressed their commitment to energy sector’s development.

KATHMANDU: The government has prepared a 20-year strategy for the commercial development of animal husbandry and dairy products.

The strategy is prepared by the National Dairy Development Board. It gives high priority to the sustainable development of the agriculture and dairy sectors by making the grassroots farmers economically and professionally strong.

It is believed that the strategy will contribute to raising the living standards of the marginal farmers and to the expansion of the agriculture economy. The strategy will be presented to the Ministry of Agriculture Development within mid-December for its implementation.

The government’s strategy paper gives priority to topics like resolving the problem related to milk holiday, establishment of resource centres for breeding improved breeds of cows and buffaloes at least in the five development regions, taking care of calves and production of hybrid breeds of milch animals and providing concessional loans or grant to very poor farmers for purchasing a cow or a buffalo.

An eight-member strategy preparation task force constituted under the convenorship of Board Director, Babukaji Panta, and comprising experts from the related sectors has expedited works for executing the strategy within the deadline

Executive Director Panta said the strategy is focused on resolving the problems faced by the dairy farmers, establishing chilling centres in places where electricity is available, analyzing the risks associated with the dairy industry, implementing the animal insurance scheme, guaranteeing the quality of milk and milk products, certification, monitoring and enhancing the technical capacity.

Panta expressed the belief that the strategy will add a new dimension to the development of dairy industry in the country. He added that the strategy has spelled out strategies for the commercial development of animal husbandry, animal health, technical aspects and pasture development.

The dairy sector contributes nine percent to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the country.
First Vice-president of Nepal Dairy Association, Sumit Kedia, stressed that the state should give priority to this sector in its overall agriculture policy. He said the government should provide special incentives to the dairy farmers and the dairy industry.

Kedia is also confident that a lot could be done for the development of this industry through the private-public partnership. He sees the need of extensive reforms at the level of dairy farmers, industries and market for that.

Besides the government-owned Dairy Development Corporation (DDC), other dairies run in the private sector include the Sitaram Gokul Milks, Chitwan Milks and Sujal Dairy, each with a capacity of producing 100,000 litres of milk per day. Similarly, the Himalaya Dairy, Modern Dairy and Anmol Dairy operated by private sector have production capacity of 50,000 litres per day.

It is stated that the private sector dairies have invested at least three billion rupees. They are providing direct or indirect employment to nearly one thousand people.

Executive Director Panta said that the Ministry of Finance has been requested in writing to provide subsidy in VAT, tax and electricity tariff to the dairy industries.

The daily demand for milk in the country is 1.5 million litres and 1.1 million litres is consumed. There is shortfall of 400,000 litres of milk daily. More than 2,000 small dairy farmers and 1,750 dairy cooperatives have been meeting this demand. Five thousand people are directly employed in this trade, it is learnt. RSS